Give the gift of a healthy 2017 with a FREE copy of my novella, SUSAN'S SEARCH!
Available FREE on Amazon December 1 - 5, 2016.
Check out SUSAN'S SEARCH on Amazon.
(It's also just a fun little book.)
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Olympic Attention
Seems like almost every news program has had a story about the purple, circular bruises on many of our swimmers, especially gold-record holder Michael Phelps. Suddenly the ancient art of "cupping" is big news! It's only been around for about 2,000 years and is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine but it's news in America. After all, if a gold medal winner uses it, then it must be good!
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Medicine and Capitalism
Just ran across a great editorial by a doctor in the L.A. Times titled "There's No Place for Rampant Capitalism in Treating the Sick" that everyone should read. You know our system in America is pretty messed up when even the doctors start saying it isn't working. Medicine isn't about saving lives anymore, it's about making money. And we all have to pay the bill.
I've ranted before that medical care in America should be taken over by government, the same government that runs our military, our fire and police departments, and other services that maintain the quality of our lives. Would it be perfect? No, there isn't a perfect health care system on the planet, but we might be able to finally make it more affordable.
I've ranted before that medical care in America should be taken over by government, the same government that runs our military, our fire and police departments, and other services that maintain the quality of our lives. Would it be perfect? No, there isn't a perfect health care system on the planet, but we might be able to finally make it more affordable.
Friday, May 6, 2016
Mark Your Calendar!
Susan's Search will be available for FREE from May 27th to May 31st! Check it out on Amazon!
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Doctors Are #3 Cause of Death
I know it's hard to believe but a new study in BMJ researching studies published since 1999 calculates that if medical errors were considered a disease it would be the third leading cause of death in the United States. Yes, that's right, #3. Doctors are only behind heart disease and cancer as the cause of death in our country.
In the new study medical error is defined as anything that causes a preventable death. That means that an estimated 251,454 people die in the U.S. as a result of their doctors. Think about that number!
Yet to hear doctors talk they all can walk on water and NEVER make mistakes. They say all of those complementary and alternative therapies that have been around for hundreds, even thousands of years, are pure junk. Except that they do work or they wouldn't have been around for hundreds of thousands of years. "Modern" medicine is just over one hundred years old and when it started the doctors were prescribing mercury. Think about that the next time you get a prescription.
In the new study medical error is defined as anything that causes a preventable death. That means that an estimated 251,454 people die in the U.S. as a result of their doctors. Think about that number!
Yet to hear doctors talk they all can walk on water and NEVER make mistakes. They say all of those complementary and alternative therapies that have been around for hundreds, even thousands of years, are pure junk. Except that they do work or they wouldn't have been around for hundreds of thousands of years. "Modern" medicine is just over one hundred years old and when it started the doctors were prescribing mercury. Think about that the next time you get a prescription.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Medicine Metabolism
There was a fascinating article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday (Tuesday, March 15th) entitled Your Medicine Metabolism. Did you know that individual reactions to a common drug like codeine can range from life-threatening to completely ineffective? Codeine is prescribed for pain but individual genetic make-up can cause a wide range of reactions. About 2% of the population metabolizes the drug so quickly that a standard dose can become life-threatening. Meanwhile about 20% of people notice very little effect from the drug.
Our unique genetic composition means that drugs react differently in each of us. While there are new tests being developed to map our genes so doctors can determine which drugs will work and which ones will cause problems, they're very expensive today. Unfortunately most folks discover they have a problem the hard way, with a bad reaction. Doctors are slowing waking up to the fact that even "common" drugs can have issues.
While I dislike drugs as a matter of principle I recognize that there are times and circumstances when they can be very beneficial. That being said, be careful when using them. Ask questions, don't just accept that your doctor can walk on water and never makes a mistake. There's an old saying that doctors bury their mistakes. Be careful.
Our unique genetic composition means that drugs react differently in each of us. While there are new tests being developed to map our genes so doctors can determine which drugs will work and which ones will cause problems, they're very expensive today. Unfortunately most folks discover they have a problem the hard way, with a bad reaction. Doctors are slowing waking up to the fact that even "common" drugs can have issues.
While I dislike drugs as a matter of principle I recognize that there are times and circumstances when they can be very beneficial. That being said, be careful when using them. Ask questions, don't just accept that your doctor can walk on water and never makes a mistake. There's an old saying that doctors bury their mistakes. Be careful.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Free Novella
March 1st and 2nd you can download my novella, "Susan's Search", for FREE to your Kindle!
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
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